Status Updates From The Crater

4:45 Confederate lines, Pegram's Salient. The initial fury of the mine's detonation dissolves a private in fire. He sees his comrades flying. Their skin black.. Part Two: The Battle of the Crater.

Grant, Burnside, and Lincoln are all in to explode Burnside' mine. An experiment. But an even more important experiment is how well black troops will fight. Many, ranking officers are skeptical. White troops express disdain as racist as southern troops. One that is not meant to be raced through.

June, 1864. The South guards Richmond with trenches and breastworks. The North resorts to siege warfare. Black troops may see their first combat. But the Generals wonder if they will perform. A Union engineer tunnels toward heavy siege guns. If it works, the Confederate line may be broken. A riveting read.